Between Screen and Souls: Supporting Muslim Youth in the Age of Social Media

When family members are busy or emotionally unavailable, youths may increasingly turn to social media for connection and validation. Over time, this shift can weaken the strong interpersonal bonds that typically help guide youths through life challenges and shape their sense of belonging and purpose. They may then become more reliant on external affirmation from online interactions, making them more vulnerable to issues like anxiety. Potentially, this also can undermine the collective values that sustain community wellbeing.

As youths spend more time on the internet, some of them might begin to measure their self-worth by the quantity of likes, comments, or followers they get. This pursuit of external validation can create a cycle where they devote significant effort to curating their appearance or behaviour, with the goal of gaining approval and attention on social media. Their sense of identity and self-worth is becoming increasingly dependent on transient online encounters rather than long-lasting social and interpersonal relationships. Over time, this focus on online affirmation can overshadow deeper values such as self-respect, strong family connections, and a sense of responsibility to the community. As these foundational values decline, youths become more vulnerable to anxiety and related mental health challenges².

Focusing on external validation not only deteriorates an individual’s relationships with others and community values, but it also directly affects the individual at a personal level. As they feel a desire to fit in, gain acceptance, and avoid being misunderstood, they might feel the need to maintain an ideal image that does not fully reflect their inner journey. Over time, this gap between appearance and reality can become emotionally draining, leading to confusion about their identity and their relationship with Allah. Without a strong foundation in Islamic knowledge and presence of trusted guidance or support, youths may struggle to find clarity, especially when exposed to different opinions or trends that challenge their beliefs. This disconnection can quietly weaken their sense of spiritual connection and belonging, often in ways that are not immediately visible.

In Parliament, Prime Minister Lawrence Wong highlighted the worrying rise in youth mental health issues in Singapore, aligning with global trends. While not as severe as in some countries, factors like excessive social media use, cyberbullying, sleep loss, and reduced physical activity have raised the alarm. Researchers have also identified a lack of free play and autonomy, which may impact children's confidence and independence. In response, Singapore is collaborating with international experts to better understand root causes and design effective, evidence-based interventions. Supporting efforts include expanded Youth Integrated Teams, Crest-Youth outreach, and a new residential facility for at-risk youth. Additionally, the Ministry of Health is also reviewing the requirement for parental consent in accessing mental health services to ensure timely care for youth³.

As a community that values the concept of rahmah (mercy), amanah (trust), and tawakkul (reliance on Allah), we have a shared responsibility to walk alongside our youths. This can be done by incorporating compassion, awareness, and meaningful support that reflect our Islamic teachings and cultural values. Parents and caregivers, friends and professionals that work directly with youths can come together to nurture them with love, faith, and understanding. We can also strengthen our community and uphold the values that are deeply rooted in our Islamic traditions. As a youth worker and counsellor working closely with both parents and young people, I have observed that many of the emotional struggles youths face today are not simply caused by social media itself, but by a lack of meaningful connection and guidance at home. Parents and caregivers play a pivotal role in shaping youths’ confidence, resilience, and sense of self in a digital age filled with noise.

One of the most important thing parents can do is to create a safe space where their children feel heard without fear of being judged or scolded. This starts with the language we use, the tone we take, and the body cues we show. When parents express themselves with rahmah (mercy) and amanah (a sense of trust and responsibility), they build emotional safety and relationships grounded in mutual respect and care.

Rather than only focusing on monitoring or controlling their children’s online activity, I often encourage parents to explore social media alongside their teens. This could mean discussing the content they come across, reflecting on the values behind it, practicing digital adab (etiquette) together or even co-creating positive content as a family. These shared Interactions open up space for conversations and make Islamic values feel real, relatable, and lived.

Most importantly, in order to guide their children effectively, parents need to be willing to reflect and grow. They need to strengthen their own understanding of Islamic values and model those values consistently, both online and offline. Youth notice what we do far more than what we say. When parents demonstrate patience, kindness, humility and responsible digital habits, it leaves a lasting impression. This kind of modeling shapes how youth think, feel and behave, and reinforces their identity and sense of self-worth in a way that social media never can.

I have also seen how powerful friendships can be in a shaping a young person’s path. Supportive friends do not need to solve each other’s problems – they just need to be kind, listen without judgement, and show compassion. Building healthy habits together, like managing screen time or taking social media breaks, strengthens your connection beyond just shared content. Most importantly, be real with each other. When you lead by example – staying true to your values and being honest about your struggles – you give your friends the courage to do the same. Friendships built on sincerity and faith which help you grow not just online but as young Muslim navigating today’s world.

It is also important to choose your company wisely. Good friends uplift you and help you stay grounded in your goals and faith.

But not all company is uplifting. The Prophet S.A.W said:

“The example of a good company and a bad one is like that of the musk seller and the blacksmith. The musk seller either gives you perfume, sells it to you or you get a pleasant smell from him. But blacksmith either burns your clothes or you get a bad smell from him” Hadith narrated by Sahih Bukhari and Muslim.

This illustrates how the company will keep influencing us either positively or negatively, whether we realise it or not.

As a Muslim professional, whether we engage directly with youth or influence them through our role in education, healthcare, media, community work or even business, we hold shared amanah (trust) to nurture the next generation. The digital world is now part of our youth’s daily experience, shaping how they view themselves, relate to others and even understand Islam. Many youths today straddle two realities: an offline world shaped by family and commuinty, and an online one shaped by algorithms, aesthetics and instant feedback (through online comments and messages). To reach them meaningfully, we must first understand both.

Our role is not to criticise or control, but to walk with them. This begins with being present, listening with empathy, engaging without judgement and opening conversations about how to stay rooted in iman (faith) while navigating social media. In our respective fields, we can promote Islamic values such as ikhlas (sincerity), taqwa (God-conciousness), adab (etiquette) and wasatiyyah (balance) — not just in our activities or campaigns, but in the way we model professionalism, speak about success and demonstrate character in public and online.

By embedding spiritual awareness in our work and maintaining relevance to their lived reality, we help youth bridge the gap between their online presence and their inner self – guiding them to be Muslim not just on screen, but in their hearts and choices. These steps may seem small, but when done collectively, it will create a powerful form of support system rooted with love, faith and understanding. In helping our youths manage social media and mental health challenges, we uphold our responsibility as caregivers and believers, not just with words but through actions.